Short list for the Steinberg/ACTA prize

“Seven Spots on the Sun,” a play by Martin Zimmerman about the inhabitants of a small village caught up in a political revolution, is one of six finalists for the annual Harold & Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. Zimmerman’s play has had a workshop at Icicle Creek Theatre Festival in Leavenworth, and received staged readings at ACT Theatre and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Also vying for the top 2014 Steinberg/ATCA award of $25,000, and two runner-up citations of $7,500, are: “Fear Up Harsh,” by Christopher Demos-Brown, a study of the nature of heroism among American veterans of war in the Mideast; “I and You” by Lauren Gunderson, focusing on the surprising relationship between a teenager in need of an organ transplant, and a young man who appears to collaborate with her on a school assignment; “Smokefall” by Noah Haidle, which takes a zany/serious look at several generations in a troubled Midwestern family; “H20″ by Jane Martin, a character study of a devout actress and a troubled action film star preparing to play Hamlet; and “Stupid F**king Bird” by Aaron Posner, a contemporary take on Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull.”

The ATCA/Steinberg winners will be named in April at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Ken. The six finalists were selected from 28 scripts, which were evaluated by a jury of 19 theater critics including Misha Berson of The Seattle Times; Steve Treacy, Port Townsend Leader; and Jerry Kraft, critic for www.seattleactor.com.

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